ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'telnetlib' — removed in Python 3.13; use telnetlib3, Exscript or a backport
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'telnetlib'
- Preferred (from the 3.13 What's New): "Use the telnetlib3 or Exscript libraries from PyPI instead."
telnetlib3is asyncio-based, so calling code changes:
# before
import telnetlib
tn = telnetlib.Telnet(host, 23); tn.read_until(b"login: ")
# after
import asyncio, telnetlib3
async def main():
reader, writer = await telnetlib3.open_connection(host, 23)
print(await reader.readuntil(b"login: "))
asyncio.run(main())
- Drop-in stop-gap: a copy of the old module is on PyPI as
telnetlib-313-and-up(pointed to by the Robot Framework maintainer); keepimport telnetlibunchanged. - If the device supports it, move to SSH (paramiko/netmiko).
Symptom
Network/device automation code (Robot Framework Telnet library, routersploit, pyboard.py, custom scripts) fails on 3.13+ with ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'telnetlib'. pip install telnetlib does not help.
Cause
telnetlib was deprecated in 3.11 and removed in Python 3.13 (PEP 594). Python 3.12 is the last release that ships it.
Verify
python -c "import telnetlib" succeeds (backport) or your telnetlib3 code connects under 3.13.
Sources
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Related
- Python 3.13 removed 19 'dead battery' modules (PEP 594): replacement for each of pipes, crypt, audioop, uu, nntplib…ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '<x>' on Python 3.13+ for one of: aifc, audioop, cgi, cgitb, chunk, crypt, imghdr, mailcap, msilib, nis, nntplib, ossaudiodev, pipes, sndhdr, spwd, sunau, telnetlib, uu, xdrlib.…